Print

Mail

wiki links

Doctors draw attention to urinary stone problems

As Taiwan is one of the places in the world where urinary stone disease is most common, doctors yesterday called on the public to focus more efforts on combating the disease.

Statistics released by the Taiwan Urology Association showed that 95 out of every 1,000 people over the age of 20 have experienced pain at least once from urinary stone disease. This is nine times the incidence level in neighboring Japan.

In southern Taiwan, the problem recurs in 40 to 60 percent of patients within three years of the first incidence, the urology association said.

Fan Wen-chou (范文宙), head of the urology department at Chimei Hospital in Liouying, Tainan County, said the disease is more likely to occur in warmer regions and that men are more easily afflicted than women.

Fan went on to say that the risk is greater for those who don't exercise, have a sedentary job and do not drink enough water, adding that the problem is also closely related to urinary tract infections and irregular digestion.

Normal symptoms are sharp pain and problems urinating, but some people may only feel a dull pain around the waist area, Fan said.

Some people experience no symptoms at all, and only find out during a medical examination that they have the problem, by which time they may find that their kidneys are seriously damaged.

Fan also said that contrary to popular opinion, drinking beer is not a good way to prevent urinary stone disease.

Although alcohol is a diuretic and may therefore help against the stones in the lower part of the urethra, drinking beer is not good for stones in the upper part of the urethra or in the kidneys because it elevates uric acid levels and may lead to the formation of uric acid stones, Fan said.
This story has been viewed 1776 times.